In a randomized controlled trial, health communication messages do not increase rates of HIV testing and one-sided messages decrease testing rates, suggesting that strategies to improve HIV detection rates may have the opposite effect.

Patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) carrying the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism have increased risk of metabolic disturbances lower likelihood of response to HCV therapy, suggesting this gene could be used as a predictive biomarker.

Management of HIV increasingly involves point-of-care testing (POCT), especially in resource-limited settings; Wendy Stevens and colleagues review the challenges associated with POCT, discussing ways in which they can be overcome.

A meta-analysis of factors affecting adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected adults indicates that psychological factors including self-efficacy and belief about the necessity of ART should be targeted to improve adherence

In a randomized trial, a community-based intervention aiming to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV-risk behaviors in Uganda successfully reduced acceptance and incidence of IPV, and is now being delivered in other communities.

HIV-infected adults who have been using antiretroviral therapy for over two years have a higher incidence of hypertension compared with adults without HIV, indicating that screening measures should be targeted towards these patients.

In a mathematical model, expanding HIV therapy to those in the early stages of infection and targeting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to at-risk individuals is cost-effective, suggesting these strategies could lead to better use of resources.

HIV-associated tuberculosis (HIV-TB) is the leading cause of death in HIV-infected individuals; Stephen Lawn and colleagues review diagnosis and treatment of HIV-TB in resource-limited settings, and discuss the challenges of managing drug-resistant TB.

Life expectancy (LE) in HIV-positive individuals has increased with the use of antiretroviral therapy; Caroline Sabin reviews the factors affecting mortality rates and emphasizes that targeting lifestyle factors could further improve LE in these patients.

Mark Wainberg and colleagues argue that as the HIV integrase inhibitor, Dolutegravir (DTG), does not select for resistance mutations when used in first-line therapy, it may potentially play a role in long-term treatment and management of HIV.

Sputum- and urine-based diagnostic assays for HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) have the highest sensitivities in patients with more advanced disease, suggesting that these tests could improve early diagnosis in those with poor prognosis.

In Lesotho, those with just one lifetime sexual partner are found to have a high prevalence of HIV infection, suggesting that interventions aimed at reducing the number of sexual partners may not have significant effects on reducing transmission.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with antiretroviral therapy is thought to help prevent HIV transmission; Jean-Michel Molina and colleagues discuss the controversy surrounding PrEP in Europe, and highlight the issues that need to be addressed.

Jens Lundgren and colleagues argue for a more cautious approach to starting antiretroviral therapy, highlighting that there is no evidence from randomized trials to suggest the benefits of starting therapy early outweigh the potential harms.

Ricardo Franco and Michael Saag discuss the benefits of starting HIV therapy early, arguing that treatment should be given as soon as possible to reduce viral replication, prevent transmission and avoid the problems associated with inflammation.

Nicola Petrosillo and Stefania Cicalini comment on a meta-analysis showing that smoking increases the risk of pneumonia in people with HIV, and discuss the importance of incorporating smoking cessation into HIV care programs.

Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that smoking increases the risk of bacterial pneumonia in people with HIV, and the risk is reduced in former smokers, highlighting the importance of smoking cessation for these patients.

Evidence from a meta-analysis suggests that IL28B polymorphisms affect hepatitis C treatment outcome and that the most appropriate genetic marker depends on ethnicity, suggesting that these factors should be considered when making treatment decisions.

Stefano Vella and colleagues review monoclonal antibody-based drugs in clinical development for HIV and HCV treatment, and describe their benefits and drawbacks in comparison with current therapies used to treat infectious diseases.

Replication of HIV can be inhibited by viral integrase enzyme inhibitors, and the therapeutic potential of these compounds, as well as the development of novel antiviral drugs are reviewed here by Mark A Wainberg and colleagues.

Rider and Liu comment on research in BMC Immunology about enhanced replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) by the tat protein of HIV-1, and discuss how these findings can lead to better treatment strategies in co-infected patients, and so prevent progress of HCV-related liver disease.